The 25-year-old Asif was seized while returning home from India after featuring in a domestic event which ended on Sunday, said the Pakistan Cricket Board officials.

"Yes, we can confirm about Asif's arrest. He was stopped at Dubai airport on charges of carrying opium and was supposed to be brought before the magistrate on Tuesday," the official said.

PCB human resources director Nadeem Akram said he was in Dubai and has also hired a lawyer to assist Asif.

"I am in Dubai as part of the PCB's efforts to get Asif cleared. As far as we know a contraband item was in his wallet which he himself did not know and it's in a very small quantity," Akram told AFP by telephone.

"He was detained at the airport and was interrogated. As far as we know no first incident report has been lodged as yet but police have conducted several tests on Asif including a urine test. A lawyer has also been hired," he said.

The PCB was due to hold a news conference later on Tuesday.

The unnamed PCB official said that the board was still gathering details.

"As far as we know he (Asif) flew out of Bombay on Sunday morning and was detained at Dubai airport," said the official.

The arrest is just the latest controversy to hit Pakistan's troubled cricket team over the last two years.

Asif was banned for one year after he tested positive for the steroid nandrolone in October 2006. Fellow paceman Shoaib Akhtar was banned for two years on the same charge.

The bans were however lifted on appeal two months later.

Akhtar meanwhile is appealing a lifetime ban imposed in April for repeated disciplinary problems.